Description
A&W General Counsel & Corporate Secretary
The General Counsel and Corporate Secretary (“the General Counsel”) leads the Legal Services and Legal Real Estate teams at A&W and provides legal and strategic advice, direction and support to the Executives of the Company and the Board of Directors on a wide range of legal and risk management issues including public company regulatory requirements as well as corporate strategic initiatives. The General Counsel oversees the team that is responsible for all the franchising and legal real estate activities of the Company. The General Counsel is also responsible for engaging and managing outside legal counsel to provide specialized legal advice and oversees any litigious matters that might arise from time to time.
Responsibilities
- Develops high performing legal services and legal real estate teams.
- Provides legal and strategic advice, direction and support to senior management and staff in all departments on a variety of legal and risk management issues and corporate
- strategic initiatives of varying complexity, as well as all matters of insurance, franchising, environmental, marketing, intellectual property, competition law, privacy, commercial leasing, corporate governance and commercial matters and related transactional issues, agreements, documentation and statutory requirements.
- Responsible for ensuring the company complies with all corporate and securities law, regulatory and Toronto Stock Exchange requirements applicable to a publicly traded company.
- Responsible for being the Corporate Secretary - the primary liaison with the Board of Directors including preparing board meeting materials, advising on best practices with respect to corporate governance and legal matters, and executing decisions, resolutions and changes put forth by the Board.
- Responsible for overseeing the legal real estate team to ensure the company’s long-term interests in its real estate portfolio are protected, and new lease negotiations support the company's new restaurant development goals and protect the long term value of the portfolio of real estate
- Responsible for reviewing, revising and drafting various legal documents, agreements and substantive correspondence, including corporate policy revisions and updates.
- Provides legal and strategic advice and liaises with outside counsel to effectively manage current and potential litigation and claims and obtain specialized advice.
Education and Experience
- Must be currently qualified to practice law and be a member in good standing of the Law Society of BC or a member in good standing within another province who is eligible to transfer to become qualified in BC.
- A minimum of ten years’ experience at a law firm or in-house in a general solicitor’s practice.
- Experience in a variety of legal practice areas, including public company requirements and in addressing legal risk management and related business issues, and in interest-based negotiations and/or alternate dispute resolution.
- Advanced level knowledge of franchising, commercial leasing, corporate, commercial, intellectual property, marketing, environmental, and privacy law, as well as a solid understanding of the Canadian legal system and litigation process.
- Exceptional financial management skills and leadership ability, including experience managing a team.
- A proven ability to lead, plan and manage a wide range of legal services work for multiple departments, to effectively manage a Board and public company requirements, to manage a budget, and to effectively address competing interests of internal and external parties
- Advanced knowledge of legal drafting principles and simple language drafting concepts.
- Exceptional verbal and written communication skills, problem solving skills, initiative and practical perspective.
About A&W
A&W Food Services of Canada is a Canadian company with over $1.6 billion in sales and nearly 1,100 franchised restaurants across the country. Through a steadfast commitment to collaborative working relationships and strategy, A&W has repeatedly earned recognition as a highly successful business and has been recognized as one of Canada’s Best Managed companies.
Interested candidates are encouraged to apply with their resume to hr@aw.ca
Job Type: Permanent full-time
Starting from $225,000 to $275,000 (midpoint base)* per annum. A car is provided with this position, at the option of the employee.
*The midpoint of the role is intended for those demonstrating sustained successful performance in all accountabilities of the position.
Benefits include medical and dental, life insurance, employer matched pension contribution, wellness spending account, executive health program, paid mental health days, hybrid work schedule post-onboarding, home workstation allowance and employee assistance program.
